UCalgary scientists produce new canola type for potentially higher crop yield

Canola is one of Canada’s most important cash crops, but there’s only so much suitable cropland where the plants can be grown. What if it were possible to modify the height and shape of canola, so more plants could be grown in the same amount of space — potentially increasing crop yield?

In a new study, a team of biologists in the Faculty of Science at the University of Calgary used gene editing to modify canola’s own genes, producing shorter plants with many more branches and flowers.

“We showed that gene editing actually works in canola, and simultaneously improved agronomic traits in canola by changing the plant’s architecture,” says study co-author Dr. Marcus Samuel, PhD, professor and Director of Greenhouse Operations in the Department of Biological Sciences, whose research group did the study.

Samuel’s lab is now in discussion with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to do some field trials this year to confirm whether the new canola strain produces higher yield. The lab also is expanding its gene-editing platform into pulse crops, such as chickpeas.

Canola production contributes an estimated $27 billion annually to Canada’s economy and is associated with approximately 250,000 jobs.

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